Whole Foods That Contain High Percentage of Monosaccharides

by Virginia Van Vynckt

Honey is a rich source of the monosaccharide fructose.

A monosaccharide, also called simple sugar, is a carbohydrate that cannot be broken down into other carbohydrates. The most common monosaccharides provided by foods are glucose, fructose and galactose. Sweet foods such as honey and cane sugar are rich in monosaccharides, but a wide variety of other foods, such as dairy products, beans and fruit, also contain these simple sugars.

Monosaccharides

Monosaccharides are the basic building blocks of carbohydrates. The two most common simple sugars are glucose, which is both made in the body and found in foods, and fructose. Glucose and fructose combine to make sucrose, or common table sugar. A third common monosaccharide is galactose, which the body makes from sugars in dairy products.

Sweeteners

Whole foods that act as natural sweeteners are the richest sources of the monosaccharides fructose and glucose, usually in combination. In addition to table sugar, which is made from either cane or beets, natural sweeteners such as honey and molasses are high in simple sugars. Honey is mostly fructose. Corn syrup -- the regular kind, not high-fructose -- and maple syrup are mostly glucose. Agave nectar, often touted as a more healthful alternative to table sugar, contains a high ratio of fructose to glucose.

Fruits

Fruits, especially apples, cherries, grapes, guavas, lichees, honeydew melon, watermelon, mangoes, papayas, pears, persimmons and pineapple, are the richest whole-food sources of the monosaccharide fructose. Unless you have a fructose intolerance, health professionals generally recommend getting most of your simple sugars from whole fruits, which contain fiber that slows down your body’s absorption of sugars, as well as healthful vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Dried fruits and fruit juices are more concentrated sources of fructose.

Dairy Products and Meat

Dairy products are the richest food sources of galactose. Milk, butter, sour cream, ice cream, yogurt and other dairy products don’t contain actual galactose, but they do have a sugar called lactose, which the body breaks down into glucose and galactose. Ingredients derived from dairy products, such as whey protein, dry milk solids and casein, can also contribute galactose. Fermented and aged dairy products such as cheddar cheese and yogurt generally contain less sugar. While meats generally contribute little in the way of sugars, organ meats such as liver are the exception. They’re rich in galactose.

Vegetables and Legumes

Generally, vegetables contain much less sugar than fruits, and don’t contribute many simple sugars to the diet. Vegetables that tend to contain more fructose include artichokes, asparagus, beans, broccoli, cabbage, chicory, onions and leeks, peanuts, tomatoes and zucchini. Beans, lentils, chickpeas and sugar beets also provide galactose.

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About the Author

From 1978 until 1995, Virginia Van Vynckt worked as a writer and editor at The Chicago Sun-Times. She has written extensively about food and nutrition, having co-authored seven cookbooks. She also published "Our Own," a book about older-child adoption. Van Vynckt holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism from Indiana University.

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